Joshua Cox Advanced Composition Dr. O’ Donnell Technical Writing Finalx2 Draft 11.28.16

How to Make a Medieval Meal in the Modern World

Microwaveable meals may look appetizing but what is in them? The four for $4.00 at

Wendy's is affordable but what are you actually buying? Is it beneficial, physically or

mentally? Huffington Post published a post in Healthy Living section stating that GMOs, or

genetically modified foods are the leading cause to most of our health problems today

including,: heart, cardiovascular, sugar and even the ability to carry children. Did you know

that the average person today spend 40 minutes a day buying, preparing, cooking and

eating their meals? 40 minutes! That's less than 15 minutes for three meals. I think

personally it takes me at least 15 minutes to finish my plate of food, that has been bought,

prepared, and cooked. I don't know about you, but I take pride into my meals.

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I even make them fun! Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher co-run Inn at the

Crossroads, a food blog that is based of A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.

They both can be found blogging and eating at innatthecrossroads.com . They approached a

new yet old method to home-cooking: Medieval.

Yes, if you’re thinking castles, dragons, swords and flagons, you’re on the right path!

While some recipes do have slightly high cholesterol, everything is made from scratch and

definitely will take more than 40 minutes out of your day. But what is the benefit of slaving

like a kitchen wench? You know what you’re putting in your body, and being conscious

while preparing something wholesome and themey. But what does it take to stock a

Medieval kitchen so you’re prepared? It goes back to basics, literally. Herbs, spices, and

thyme, or time mostly. Some things you’re going to need to start with is measuring utensils,

and some old terminology. Medieval recipes are sometimes written in Middle English,

thankfully if you find a theme cookbook for this type of cooking, they will have deciphered

it for you, if not, I suggest a trip to the “ye ole” local library to help with Middle English.

While some recipes call for “formulated mixtures”, others are simple translations

about what is called for are easy. Aurochs, which are now an extinct bovine species could

be replaced with cow or bison. Goats can be replaced with lamb. Pigeons can be replaced

with duck, unless you want to grab your bow and hunt down a couple of pigeons yourself!

Quail is probably the only meat you can actually buy in stores. If that doesn’t work for you

or you don’t have access to it, any game hen with do. Two very popular medieval

concoctions, Poudre Douce (pronounced POO-dra DOO-ce) and Medieval pastry dough are

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a must have in almost every recipe. Medieval pastry dough is a little simpler. It is rich and

buttery dough that you can use for sweets or breads.

⚔Did you Know? “Poudre Douce” translates as “Sweet powder”

Typically a Medieval meal consists of five to seven entrees. Royalty was waited on

hand and foot especially during tourneys, hosting events or family gatherings. Serfs and

bards would work all day just to prepare a meal for the event, bringing out the entrees as

they became ready because of gatherings would last until the morning, hence seven

courses. Thankfully, we just have to cook for ourselves so I’ll list a main dish, a side and a

sweet dessert for finish.

Modern day dishes haven’t strayed at all from main dishes of the past. Usually a

main dish would be meat. Whether game meat or farm meat, serfs always made sure that

they brought enough of the main courses to satisfy the needs of the knights, lords and

ladies present in the court. For the main dish, I will explain the art of making “Honeyed

Chicken.” The side dish always complimented the main. Let’s stick with comfort food vibe

and make some “Turnips in Butter”. I know you’re thinking Turns out, get it, that turnips

are actually better for you. A regular potato has about 59 calories per serving, whereas

turnips have only 18 calories.

“ lear the dishes, bring the cake!” Medieval cakes are rather similar to

today’s English cakes. They are all very decadent, hearty, and surprisingly healthy. Despite

their sweet tooths, Royalty did like to balance the sweets with currants. With this dessert

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think of a cake and a scone having a baby making what is known across the land as

“Elizabethan Wintercake”. Now, without further adue, BEGIN!

Poudre Douce Medieval Pastry Dough

- 4 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

- 1 teaspoon of grains of

paradise (black pepper)

- Pinch of nutmeg

- Pin of galangal (spicy

ginger)

- 1 cup of sugar

- Pinch of Saffron

- ½ cup of water

- ½ cup of unsalted butter or 1

stick

- 3 cups of flour

- 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

(Right Box) Taken from p.9 A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher (Left Box)Taken from p.5 A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher

For the medieval pastry dough:

1. Dissolve the saffron in water 2. Then add of the rest ingredients together 3. Roll out with a rolling pin, and puncture holes for ventilation with a fork 4. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F/177°F in a pan size of your choice. This will prep the crust for the dish.

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Honeyed Chicken

- 1 whole chicken

for roasting, (6+lbs)

- 2 tablespoons of

unsalted butter, melted

- 1 cup of apple

cider vinegar

- ⅔ cup of honey

- 1-2 teaspoons of

mint, dried or fresh,

chopped

- ½ cup of currants ( raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries)

- An additional tablespoon of unsalted butter

This dish serves 3 to 4. Prep: 15 minutes Sauce: 30 minutes. Bake: 1 hour - 1 ½ hours

Taken from http://i0.wp.com/themanthechefthedad.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/honeyed-chicken2.jpg Taken from p.77-78 A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher

The following cookware you need: Measuring Cup

1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 12 x 12 pan

Plastic Spatula Sauce Pan

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C. 2. Wash the chicken and pat dry. 3. Melt the butter, then rub the butter in the skin and sprinkle with salt. 4. Cook for approximately for one hour, or until the juices run clear when you pierce

the skin to check for any pink. 5. While you’re roasting your chicken, combine all your other ingredients into the

sauce pot. Let them simmer stovetop for about 30 minutes or until the currants are plump.

6. When the chicken is finished, pull it out of the oven and pour the sauce of the chicken. Cool, slice and enjoy!

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Medieval Armored Turnips

- 5 or 6 small turnips

- 1 ½ cups of mozzarella

- ½ cup of parmesan

- 4 tablespoons (½ a

stick) of unsalted butter,

melted

- 2 teaspoons of Poudre

Douce. (refer to p. 4) This dish serves 3 to 4. Prep: 15 minutes. Baking: 15 minutes

Layer in following order:

1. Cheese

2. Turnips

3. Butter

4. Poudre douce

Taken http://www.witchy-kitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/game-of-thrones-scalloped-turnips.jpg Taken from http://suttoncommunityfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Medium-turnips.jpg Taken from p.68-69 A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher

The following cookware you need:

Measuring Cup 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon 9 x 9 pan

Boiling Pot Plastic Spatula

Alas, roll out the butter with this one!

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C.

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2. Wash and peel the turnips. Boil them until tender. (about 20 minutes) 3. While you're waiting for them to cool, separate your cheeses, grate with a cheese

grater if in block form. 4. Slice your turnips about ⅛ thick. 5. Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter, then arrange the ingredients in layers

by order. Keep doing this layering process as thin as possible until you near the top, or rim of the pan. Let the top layer be a mixture of the two cheeses. Set in the oven to let it all melt together for about 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Elizabethan Wintercake

- 3 ½ cups of all purpose flour

- ¾ cup of sugar

- 1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter,

softened

- ½ cups of dried cherries, diced

- ½ cup of candied ginger, diced

- ½ cup of pine nuts

- 5 tablespoons of double cream (

heavy cream )

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

- 2 tablespoons of sweet white wine,

such as marsala, or sherry will do.

This dish serves 10 to 12. Prep: 15 minutes. Baking: 25 minutes

Taken from http://www.innatthecrossroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG_0729.jpg Taken from p.206-209 A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Cassell and Sariann Leher

The following cookware you need:

Measuring Cup 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon 12 x 12 pan Mixing Bowl

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1. Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C 2. Grease a 12 x 12 inch baking pan. 3. Combine the flour and sugar in the bowl. 4. Rub in the butter, then add the dry ingredients. 5. In a separate bowl, mix the cream and egg yolks, then pour this into the dry mixture. 6. Lastly, stir in the nutmeg and wine, rolling it into one big ball until it forms evenly.

Roll it out evenly on the pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until it’s top is slightly golden.

ight the candles, my eyes cannot witness the divine dish!” Take a

visit to your local antique store or salvation army to find old woody utensils and silverware

to give the dinner that Dungeon and Dragons feel. Find a good faux fur blanket and lay it

out around you for the Royal King or Queen you are and beckon your Minstrel to play a

great ballad. Feel serenaded by the bard with the lute and bite into this satisfying and

scrumptious meal. You definitely don't want to “Kiss the hare’s foot!” Come hither, and

gather round the table for some wholesome bellytimber!

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